60% propane, 40% butane: for turbo-diesels?

[drexx]

18Jun2005 (UTC +8)

Our LPG tanks here in the Philippines are 60% propane and 40% butane. Aside from home/restaurant cooking, it's also used here as an alternative to gasoline power. Question is: can I use it for propane injection in turbo-diesels like what is popularly done in America?

 

[crushers]

no where close to those specs. i wouldn't recommend it but if you do,
let me know how she goes on that fuel, jet fuel for diesels?

 

[lshobie]

I ran jet a-1 in my bj60 for 3 years, ran great, didnt smell as bad as diesel, and didnt notice a lack of power either.

Louis

 

[crushers]

did you notice any increase in EGTs? increase in power? increase in fuel milage?
after doing a quick bit of research, this is sounding interesting...
cheers

 

[lshobie]

From what my fuel supplier said - the jet fuel actually burned a bit cooler than diesel, but i didnt measure the temps. I didnt notice a difference in power or mileage. It seemed the same, and made it a little nicer for the guys on the trail behind me because the exhaust wasnt as nasty. The fuel supplier thought i would have less power though

At the time I was getting the jet a1 for about 27-29 cents a litre. I bought a few hundred thousand litres a year for the airport I managed at so I used the jet a1 in the tractor and the cruiser. nice cheap fuel.

Never tried jp4 though - it has naptha in it i believe - that would be bad.

Louis

 

[brownbear]

At the time I was getting the jet a1 for about 27-29 cents a litre. I bought a few hundred thousand litres a year for the airport I managed at so I used the jet a1 in the tractor and the cruiser. nice cheap fuel.

Never tried jp4 though - it has naptha in it i believe - that would be bad.

Louis

JP4 otherwise known as Jet-b. Yes it does have naptha in it. Its for cold weather. Not really sold anywhere nowadays. gone with the dodo.

Jet a-1 is a cleaner fuel than diesel. But low on the lubrication scale. Like very low. its a straw coloured fuel, very little oil in it.

When I use jet fuel I dump a bunch of diesel conditioner in it. The lube kind. I try to double the amount that low sulfer diesel requires.

I didn't really notice a rise in EGTs. or power. seemed normal.

for joe smoe to go and buy Jet Fuel in drums or what not, it cost around 1.28 a liter. On my plane we get a discount and pay 1.10 a liter, or more.

Not an option if you have to buy it. Now on the other hand I have to drain a couple liters a day to check my sumps. If it looks good I dump it in a jerry can and when I have a bit in the Cruiser it goes with some lube.

Now for the 60% propane 40% butane mix. I don't see why that would not work. Any look at the btu scales of the gases? I would think butane is a little more kick. But why could you not just turn it down a bit?

The butane prolly just gives the fuel a bit of a spike.

 

[lshobie]

Ya, i used diesel conditioner as well. They used teh JP 4 when I was up in the Arctic back in 1989, I was in Hall beach.


Damn, that stuff is expensive now. I was selling it for 67 cents back in 1993.

Louis

 

[brownbear]

Yup expensive, take into account we buying for our plane a couple hundred thou of fuel a year and a few cents a liter makes a difference.

If we were a big operator we could get a discount even larger.